Digimon Shift: Last Piece
by Pkmatrix
Summary: The long-awaited alternate ending to Digimon Shift! Rika Nonaka leads the Digidestined into a desperate final battle against maniacal author Penn Sanders in order to save Takato and the others. Will they be able to succeed? Ch. 4 is finally HERE!
1. Always

Note:  It is heavily recommended that you read Digimon Shift:  Initiation by Seth Turtle before reading this story.  Digimon Shift:  Last Piece is meant to be an alternate ending to Digimon Shift:  Initiation, thus you may be confused if you have not read the original story.  Digimon Shift:  Initiation can be found here at Fanfiction.net.

--

First Piece:  Always

--

_Sometimes when your hopes have all been shattered / And there's nowhere to turn / You wonder how you keep going_

_Think of all the things that really mattered / And the chances you've earned / The fire in your heart is growing_

_You can fly, if you try leaving the past behind / Heaven only knows what you might find_

_Dare - dare to believe you can survive / You hold the future in your hand_

_Dare - dare to keep all of your dreams alive / It's time to take a stand_

_And you can win, if you dare_

--

"Bio-Merge Activate!"

** Digimon, Special Digivolution Music: "Digi-Rap" **  
  


"Veemon, Bio-Merge to... **Imperialdramon!!**"  
"Hawkmon, Bio-Merge to... **Valkyrimon!!**"  
"Gatomon, Bio-Merge to... **Magnadramon!!**"  
"Armadillomon, Bio-Merge to... **Vikemon!!**"  
"Patamon, Bio-Merge to... **Seraphimon!!**"

Rika and Ryo both pull out their Digivices simultaneously, Rika's D-Arc and Ryo's D-Scanner.

"Ready?" she asks.  Ryo runs a hand through his hair and smirks.

"Always, pumpkin," he replies, eliciting a smile from the Digimon Queen.

"Heh," says Rika, raising the D-Arc into the air, "Bio-Merge Activate!"

"Spirit Evolution!"

**Digimon, Season 3, Bio-Merge Digivolution music**

"Ryo, Spirit Evolve to…**Justimon!!**"

"Renamon, Bio-Merge to…**Sakuyamon!!**"

"A-amazing!" exclaims TK from within his green sphere, "Patamon…have we become one?  Are we really Seraphimon?"

_"I…I think we are!" _his partner replies in the voice of his rookie form.

Yolei floated leisurely in her own space, feeling the power flow through her as she says, "Hawkmon…I feel so strong!  I feel as if I can beat the whole Digital World all by my self!"

_"Don't get carried away there, my dear,"_ Hawkmon replies, _"I'm sure you don't want to take on the entire Digital World alone, do you?"_

"No, of course not.  But…I feel so safe now, like nothing can touch me.  We're perfect!" cheers Yolei with a smile.

Kari looks around her own pink Digi-Sphere in awe.  Although she'd been transformed into a giant quadruped dragon, she felt totally comfortable, as if nothing had changed.

"I'm…Magnadramon?" she wonders aloud.

_"**We're** Magnadramon,"_ Gatomon's voice reminds her, emanating from all directions.

Cody looks at his hands and tightens them into fists.  Now that he is Vikemon, he feels as if he really can help his friends.  That he is, for the first time in his life, truly strong.  Cody can feel Armadillomon's presence in the yellow Digi-Sphere, enveloping and encompassing him.

"Armadillomon!  This is just incredible!" yells Cody excitedly.

_"No kiddin' Cody. I feel like a million bucks!"_ the Digimon replies, the same excitement in his voice as well.

Davis is silent.  The power that he could feel flowing through him was much greater than anyone could easily comprehend.  Finally, he is able to bring his feelings to words: "Veemon…is this what you feel when you DNA Digivolve with Wormmon?"

_"I…don't know.  This feels so familiar, but at the same time it is completely new,"_ Veemon replies.  Sakuyamon quickly floats up above the group, looking up towards the giant glowing AT field above Infinity Mountain.

"Are you guys ready?" she asks, looking back towards the others.  Everyone nods in affirmation.

"All right!  Let's finish this!" yells Justimon as the seven Mega-level Digimon leap into the air, although Vikemon has to be carried up on Imperialdramon's back.

"POSITRON LASER!!" yells the Ancient Dragon Digimon, firing the powerful beam at the AT Field's weak point and blasting a large hole right through the purple globe's outer shell.  Sakuyamon enters first, not waiting for the smoke or debris to clear, quickly followed by everyone else.

Unnoticed by anyone, a familiar person watches the seven Megas' entrance from within his own Mekanorimon.

"So, it's started," whispers Gennai, his hands gripping the Mekanorimon's control sticks tightly, "I'd better hurry!"  He pushes both control sticks forward and the Digimon puts on the afterburners, rushing towards the battlefield.  But…time is not his side.

--

"Whoa…" says Imperialdramon, almost in awe.  Before the group, in the center of the violet globe, two hulking beasts of enormous power grapple.  Bolts of electricity erupt from their intertwined fists, arcing across their bodies and the inner shell of the field as they glare at each other menacingly.

"ExMilleniumon," mutters Justimon, referring to the Digimon on the right.

"Who is he fighting?" asks Vikemon just as a window, similar to those used by the Digidestined during the Diaboromon incident, appears before them.  Sakuyamon immediately recognizes the face in the window, and becomes furious.

"PENN!!" she howls, charging at the window and trying to punch his grinning face, but it disappears before she can connect.

"My, my, watch your temper, Rika," Penn says mockingly, the window reappearing a short distance away, "I'm sure you don't want me to delete one of your little friends now, do you?"

"Penn!  What have you done with all of the Digimon?!" yells Valkyrimon angrily, raising his fist towards the maniac's grinning visage.

"Oh, I've done nothing.  But, my Pentamon is not as innocent as I…" he replies with a mischievous grin that clearly gives away is guilt.

"Pentamon?" Justimon asks, "So that's the identity of our mystery Mega."

"What have you done, Penn?  Where are the Digimon?!" continues Valkyrimon, the anger of the human within building rapidly.  The young man grins.

"Absorbed," Penn simply replies.  This is enough to put even Sakuyamon into shock.

"All of them?!!" she screams.  Inside the Mega, Rika's eyes widen with the utter shock of the reply.  Was it even possible?  How could _anything_ do that?!

"No…" whispers Magnadramon, "Tentomon…Gabumon…Palmon…"

"Grr…you MONSTER!" shouts Seraphimon furiously, "SEVEN HEAVENS!!"

Seven globes of multi-colored energy soar towards the window, which disappears once again before they can impact.  Suddenly, an echoing laugh can be heard by the Digidestined and Tamers, emanating from all directions…or is it within their minds?

**"Idiots…do you really think attacking that window will affect anything?  I own this world, and I own all of you.  After all of the planning I've put into this, do you really believe I'm just going to **_let_** you kill Pentamon and ruin everything?"**

"You're not God, Penn," mutters Sakuyamon.

**"Yes I am!  Here, I am the Supreme Being, the creator and destroyer of all things!  Let me demonstrate my power…"**

In the space before the seven Megas, a million points of light appear.  From those million points, a million demon-like Digimon seem to grow from thin air!  The devilish beasts are clad in black leather with red highlights, and are covered in runic symbols that defy meaning.  Each one eyes the Megas hungrily.

**"Let me introduce another of my great creations!  WarDevimon, an Ultimate-level Virus type.  Their special attack is Banshee Scream…and they're just **_dying_ **to try it on you!  Of course, they also have a voracious hunger that can only be sated by feeding upon whatever I can provide for them."**

"Uh…guys?  I _think_ we're outnumbered…" says Imperialdramon, wincing at the thought of being eaten alive.

"There may be a lot of them, but their programming can't be very complex," Justimon says confidently, "Otherwise so many of them wouldn't have been made so easily. It won't be hard to outsmart them."

**"We'll see about that…WarDevimon, attack!"**

And with that order the countless hoards of WarDevimon, beasts that look like a godforsaken fusion of Devimon and Beelzemon, charge through the air towards the seven Megas.

"Okay, this is it," says Justimon, his right arm transforming into a kind of heat blade as Imperialdramon quickly flies ahead of the group.

"Heh…you know what?  I don't think you freaks realize whom you're dealing with," Davis says with a smirk from within the Mega, "POSITRON LASER!!"  Instead of the powerful beam that he had used before, Imperialdramon fires a series of weaker blasts at rapid-fire speed, which gives the impression of a machine gun.  Within seconds, the attack mows down many of the WarDevimon directly in front of the group, but the horde only moves to fill the hole in their ranks.  With a roar from the mighty Ancient Dragon, the Megas charge into battle against the demonic army.

Justimon charges forward, impaling a WarDevimon on his heat blade before slashing up and slicing the upper half of the Ultimate in two.  He spins around and slashes again, freeing another WarDevimon's legs from the rest of its body.  Again and again, with every swipe of his blade Justimon maims and kills another of these abominations.

"Die…die…die, you monsters!" mutters the Legendary Tamer, as one of the WarDevimon pounces upon his back, digging its razor-sharp claws into Justimon's armored chest.

"AURVANDIL'S ARROW!!"

The arrow pierces the WarDevimon's back exactly between its two tattered, bat-like wings, passing through its leather jacket and out the monster's chest as it slowly falls to its death.

"Thanks!" Justimon yells, quickly spinning and slashing another Digimon that had been coming up behind him.

"No problem…!" replies Valkyrimon, brandishing his sword and parrying a slash by another of the many virus-type Digimon.  A well-placed kick sends the WarDevimon into another of its brethren.

"Bingo!" cheers Valkyrimon, just as another WarDevimon swoops in from behind and viciously bites into his neck.  Without a second though, Valkyrimon pulls off an old-fashioned Judo move, grabbing the WarDevimon's arm and flipping it over him.  The monster quickly turns back towards its opponent, only to meet the deadly end of Valkyrimon's sword.

"FENRIR SWORD!!" the Mega howls, beheading the demon.  Valkyrimon charges forward towards a group of three WarDevimon, and with great finesse, slashes them all with the Fenrir Sword.

"AURAVANDIL'S ARROW!!" yells Valkyrimon, sending another arrow across the battlefield, and plunging it into the chest of a WarDevimon that had been charging at Seraphimon.  But, despite the assistance, that single arrow doesn't stop the other four Digimon that had been charging him from four different directions.  Thinking fast, the Seraphim warrior flies straight up, putting the WarDevimon behind him and in hot pursuit.

_"Faster, Patamon, faster!"_ TK thinks from within the Digimon, as three more WarDevimon appear ahead of him, diving straight down at the Mega in a V-formation.

"Grr…" growls Seraphimon, "Go back to hell!"  The Seraphim punches the lead WarDevimon in the pack flying down towards him, the speed of the collision forcing his fist through its gut and out the demon's back, deleting it instantly.  With amazing speed, Seraphimon kicks one of the deceased's wingmen into the other, sending them off into oblivion as the four pursuing WarDevimon fly past since they are unable to stop in time.

Seraphimon looks towards the four WarDevimon, powerful energy coursing throughout his body, and shouts, "SEVEN HEAVENS!!"  The seven globes of energy soar through the empty space and quickly slam into two of the WarDevimon, killing them instantaneously.  A third tries to dodge, only getting hit in the arm, but is unable to avoid another globe that collides with his face.  Only one WarDevimon survives, charging towards Seraphimon while screeching an unearthly howl.

"DIE!!" cries Seraphimon as his opponent slashes at him.  The Mega raises an arm, successfully deflecting the attack and returning the punishment with a punch to the WarDevimon's stomach.  Again and again, faster and faster, Seraphimon pummels the demon with his fists until the blue armor is stained crimson.  A single kick into the Digimon's jaw sends the limp body to its fated demise.

_"TK…calm down, you won't be able to fight well if your mind is clouded with anger,"_ says Patamon, the Digimon's voice echoing within the Digi-Sphere.  TK closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.  Despite still having the voice of his rookie form, Patamon seems to have gotten much wiser now that he's become a Mega.

"Your right, Patamon.  I'll try to keep myself under control," the boy replies.  Seraphimon quickly spins and kicks another enemy in the chest, sending it flying backwards.  Suddenly it stops, impaled upon Sakuyamon's staff.  She quickly pulls it out of the WarDevimon's back smashes the top down on the monster's head, deleting it immediately.

"There are too many!" Sakuyamon mutters as another enemy grabs her leg from below and tries to drag her down.  With lethal efficiency, the Digimon Queen stabs the pointed tip of the staff straight down into the monster's head before kicking the corpse away with her other leg.  Looking behind her, Sakuyamon spots a group of WarDevimon closing in on her.

"SPIRIT STRIKE!!" she yells, as the ghostly forms of three foxes soar towards her desired targets, each spirit killing two or more WarDevimon.

_"Rika, this battle is too chaotic.  We have to get out of this mob or we'll tire out,"_ says Renamon.  Inside her Digi-Sphere, Rika nods in agreement.

"Right.  These stupid WarDevimon are getting in our way!" Rika replies angrily, noticing several more of the aforementioned Digimon coming near.  Showing off her agility and skill, Sakuyamon spins her staff above her head and slashes the pointed tip across her enemies' chests before finishing them off with another spirit strike.

"We need to reach Pentamon…but how?" whispers Sakuyamon.

--

**Digimon Shift:  Initiation** is written by Seth Turtle.  **Digimon Shift:  Last Piece** is written by Pkmatrix and has been written with Seth Turtle's permission.  Any and all original characters in these two stories are copyright of Seth Turtle.  For a disclaimer covering all other copyrighted material appearing in this story, please check my profile.


	2. Will

--

Second Piece:  Will

--

Penn watches the battle with glee from his vantage point some distance away.  The perfect spot really, a place where he can watch both the savage melee of his WarDevimon while also watching the grueling grudge-match between Pentamon and Milleniumon.  He almost breaks out in laughter as he watches the outnumbered Digidestined and Tamers struggle futilely against his creations.

"Heh…a little while longer and I'll just delete them all," he whispers, just as an energy beam slams through the back of the window, shattering it like glass.  A few moments later and another window appears, now facing the assailant.

"You're not deleting anyone!" proclaims Gennai, pushing both control sticks forward and charging at the window, firing off a few more shots.  Penn's window disappears once again before he can reach, reappearing behind Gennai's Mekanorimon.

"Damn!  Where did you come from?!" he yells angrily.  The Mekanorimon quickly spins around and does a sideways-karate chop, shattering the window yet again.

"You WILL be stopped, Penn!" yells Gennai, readying himself for more combat.  The author's voice booms around the ageless Digital human as he speaks.

**"Wha…how do you know my name?!"**

"I have my ways.  Just because we are nothing more than computer programs doesn't mean we're mindless puppets bound only to your will, Penn Sanders!" Gennai proclaims.

**"What?!!"**

**"So, you've got a new friend now, Author?"** booms another voice, only this much closer.  Gennai quickly looks to the side and dodges straight down, nearly getting hit by ExMilleniumon's fist.

"Milleniumon!?" yells Gennai, as the armored Mega smirks with recognition.

**"Heh, so it's you.  I see you've been able to remove Piedmon's dark spore.  My compliments, Gennai,"** say ExMilleniumon, tightening his grip around the sword he now carries, **"Oh, but let me introduce myself.  I am ExMilleniumon, Dark God and ruler of all the Universes…as soon as I eliminate these meddling Authors.  But first…your death!"**

With amazing speed, ExMilleniumon charges forward and slashes the sword several times at the Mekanorimon, but surprisingly, the much smaller Digimon is able to dodge every attack.  Penn's window once again appears, this time behind the powerful Mega.

"No!  Your fight is with Pentamon!" he yells angrily.

As if on cue, the aforementioned Mega rams ExMilleniumon from the side with enough force to send him sailing towards the edge of the AT Field.  As Pentamon charges towards his opponent, Penn looks back towards Gennai with disdain.

"As for you…my pets will bring death swiftly, pest," says the Author.

"You have a way with words, Penn, but can you back them up with actual force?" asks Gennai as four WarDevimon surround him.

"I will enjoy watching you die, Gennai," Penn answers with a smirk.

"Likewise," is Gennai's only reply as the WarDevimon charge.  Suddenly, with speed that no Mekanorimon should possess, Gennai's Digimon rams one of the oncoming WarDevimon.  Swiftly, the Mekanorimon grabs its opponent's throat, pulls the monsters head in front of its beam cannon, and fires.  To say the least, Penn is stunned to silence by the sight.  Gennai releases the WarDevimon, letting the limp body fall to its doom and finally willing Penn to speak.

"That…that's IMPOSSIBLE!  Mekanorimon is a Champion…how did it defeat my WarDevimon…?  They're Ultimate-level, dammit!" he yells, his voice caught somewhere between anger and surprise.

"Fool.  For a being who is supposed to know everything about us, you seem to know nothing at all," whispers Gennai, quickly spinning his Mekanorimon around and firing the beam cannon several times at the on-coming WarDevimon, successfully blasting one's arm off.  Gennai charges forward and rams the one-armed WarDevimon, then one of the others comes up behind him and prepares to slash…

"JUSTICE KICK!!" 

Suddenly, Justimon appears and kicks the Digimon away from Mekanorimon.  Gennai turns around and stares at the Mega, before quickly realizing whom it is.

"Ryo!" yells Gennai happily, "You're here!"  Within his Digi-Sphere, Ryo blinks a few times and shakes his head.

"Gennai…?"  Ryo replies in surprise.  The Legendary Tamer, for one, didn't expect his old friend and mentor to suddenly appear.

"Save the reunion for later!" says Sakuyamon, flying up beside Gennai, "We've got to take this chance to attack ExMilleniumon and Pentamon while the WarDevimon are not paying attention to us!"

"Heh…why don't we eliminate the WarDevimon altogether?" Gennai wonders aloud, glancing over towards the writhing cloud of Digimon in the distance.

"Don't you think we tried that already?  There are way too many of them!" Sakuyamon replies with annoyance.  The Mekanorimon turns towards her and, within its cockpit, the pilot smirks.

"There is one item within this Universe that can give you the strength to defeat all of the WarDevimon," he explains, "In fact, it is the very item that I have been using myself in order to combat these abominations."  A small point of light appears between the Champion and Mega, a point that suddenly flashes in a bright light, engulfing them both.  Inside her Digi-Sphere within Sakuyamon, Rika slowly reopens her eyes to a stunning sight: a glowing golden ring floating a mere meter away from her.

"Gatomon's Tail Ring…" she whispers in awe as she recognizes the ring.

"Take it.  That ring has the ability to increase a Digimon's power exponentially, which is why I've been using it as a power-up for my Mekanorimon," says Gennai, his voice echoing throughout the Digi-Sphere, "With it, you will have a power equal to that of Imperialdramon Paladin Mode and be able to stand up to Pentamon on your own.  Penn won't stand a chance!"

"How…how did you…?" whispers Rika, both in awe of the ring and surprised at Gennai's knowledge of the Authors.

"Yugi Muto isn't the only one who is intrigued by our creators' technology," he simply replies.  Rika smiles and nods with understanding, before quickly snatching the ring out of the air before her.  The moment her hand comes into contact with it, a surge of energy unlike anything she'd ever felt before flows through her body, engulfing not only herself but Sakuyamon as well in an egg of light.  Slowly, the field of light surrounding the Mega begins to dissolve, accompanied by a familiar voice:

_"Earth and Moon…Sun and Stars…My world and yours…the force that binds them all…lend me your strength!  Lend me the almighty power of light…of justice!"_ says Sakuyamon in Renamon's voice, raising a hand towards the sky, _"Evil…Darkness…Chaos…halt before me!  Quake in fear of the power that has been bequeathed upon me.  It is the will of the Digital World for you to be eliminated…no…it is not only the Digital World's will, but the will of all living things!  Now…return to the hell from whence you came!"_

Sakuyamon thrusts her palm towards the horde of WarDevimon and shouts, "SPIRIT STRIKE!!"  Countless numbers of fox-like spirits erupt from the Mega's hand, each one twice as potent thanks to the power-up from Gatomon's Tail Ring.  Like Angels of Death, the spirits pass through bodies of each WarDevimon…taking the beasts' life with them as they vanish into oblivion.  A single sorrowful moan echoes across the skies of the Digital World, before silencing with the sound of death.

"Wha…what the heck…?!" mutters Imperialdramon as all of the WarDevimon seeming drop dead and delete right before him.

"What happened…!" yells Vikemon looking around from his perch on his friend's back.  As the effects of her attack subsides, Sakuyamon looks on with utter shock.

"Did…did I do that…?" she manages to say, "Have I really become that strong…?"

--

"Grr…DAMMIT!" Penn yells angrily, kicking his chair away with all of his strength.  Taking a deep breath, the young man calms down and looks back around at his employees manning other computers in the large mission control-like room.  Being a multi-billionaire did have its benefits, such as being able to hire the best computer technicians and programmers in the world for this little scheme.

"Sir…?" asks one of the technicians quietly.

"What?" replies Penn loudly, obviously still angry at this new turn of events.

"We have a problem," says the technician, "Someone is attempting to hack into our system and cut us off from the FF.net servers."

"Damn…it must be that 'Anti-Penn' group.  Reinforce the firewalls, don't let them through!" orders Penn, looking down at his desk and glancing at the Millennium Digivice, "I'll handle the rest."

--

"So…what now?" asks Vikemon, glancing over towards Sakuyamon and the others from his seat upon Imperialdramon.  For a moment there is no response, everyone simply staring at the battle continuing to wage before them between Pentamon and ExMilleniumon.  Finally, Sakuyamon snaps out of her stupor and speaks.

"We have to take them down," she says, flying before the others.

"Brilliant plan," replies Imperialdramon sarcastically, "How do you suppose we take down a dark god and man-made monstrosity?"

"We'll take them both on at once, moving in fast while using our strongest attacks, and hopefully catching them off guard," Sakuyamon explains, "Imperialdramon, Vikemon, Magnadramon, and I will attack ExMilleniumon, everyone else will…"

"No," says Justimon suddenly, interrupting Sakuyamon, "I will fight ExMilleniumon alone.  All of you will fight Pentamon."

"WHAT?!" yells Valkyrimon as everyone immediately spins toward Justimon, their eyes wide with shock, "Are you nuts?!  You'll get killed if you fight him by yourself!!"  Justimon avoids their gazes, instead looking down at the glowing blade his right arm and hand had become.

"It's the only way…" he mutters.

"No, Ryo!" yells Sakuyamon, Rika's voice noticeably more prominent than Renamon's, "That is suicide!  I won't let you…!"

"Stop being so selfish, Rika!" Justimon yells, his voice sounding much like a growl, a voice Rika never knew he had, "It doesn't matter what you want or what I want anymore!  This is beyond us!  We aren't fighting for just the Earth or just the Digital World, but entire Universes with countless people inhabiting each!  My life is just too insignificant at this point."

Everyone is speechless; none of them can come up with any response…any reason for Ryo not to throw his life away.

"Ryo…" whispers Sakuyamon.

"I am the only one capable of fighting ExMilleniumon and coming out alive.  We are inseparably bonded…he is the shadow to my light.  As long as I live, he lives…and, hopefully, the other way around is true as well," says Justimon, "Rika…this is a personal matter.  ExMilleniumon is my partner.  It doesn't matter at all that he has become evil incarnate…deep down inside is the one I call my friend…Monodramon."

For a moment, the two Megas' gazes meet and in their hearts they both realize a simple unifying truth: their love for each other.  Justimon quickly turns away and stares at the monstrosity his partner has become.

"Ryo," Gennai finally says, "If this is the road you have decided to take, then there is nothing I can say or do to stop you.  I know you won't fail us…I believe in you.  Good luck."  Justimon turns towards the Mekanorimon Gennai sits within, a feeling of gratitude and surprise overcoming him.

"Go get 'em, Ryo!"

"Ryo, go teach that freak a lesson he'll never forget!"

"I believe in you Ryo!  We're behind you all the way!"

"Take out ExMilleniumon, then together we'll defeat Penn!"

"ExMilleniumon doesn't stand a chance against you!"

"Ryo…" says Rika, Renamon's voice completely absent now, "Just promise me one thing: that you'll come back…to me."

Justimon slowly nods and replies, "…I promise."

--

**"Stand still and DIE already you insolent fool!**" howls ExMilleniumon, slashing his sword at Pentamon, who simply dodges yet again.  From his floating window, Penn once again smirks with satisfaction.

"Give up.  When compared to my almighty powers, you are nothing but a pathetic computer program," says Penn, angering the already annoyed Digi-God.

**"You are nothing more than an ignorant human, Penn!  How DARE you speak to me that way!"** ExMilleniumon yells angrily, finally grabbing Pentamon with his left hand and slashing its arm off.  The evil Mega smiles at the sound of its opponents blood-curdling scream of pain, only to have that smile washed away as the arm simply regenerates.

"No, you are the ignorant one, my friend.  I own this world, what I want to happen happens.  The only reason you are still alive is because I want you to be.  You would be wise to keep me entertained otherwise you will meet the same fate as all of the other Digimon in the Digital World," replies Penn grimly.  ExMilleniumon growls as he glares at Penn icily.

**"If you were half as wise or intelligent as you claim to be, you would've killed me already,"** he mutters, keeping quiet enough for Penn not to hear.  If his intuition is correct, then it is possible that this Author is unaware of his ability to traverse Universes.  Maybe he is aware of the ability, but just refuses to acknowledge that a simple 'computer program' is capable of such a feat.

**_"As soon as I kill your precious pet, Penn, I'll be sure to pay your universe a personal visit,"_** thinks ExMilleniumon as he raises his sword and prepares to charge at Pentamon once again.

"MEGA CRUSHER!"

A massive explosion envelops Pentamon in smoke and flame as a sphere of energy suddenly collides with the monstrosity, sending it reeling as more attacks arc out of sky and onto its hide.

"What the…?!" yells Penn, obviously caught off guard as a familiar figure flies up before ExMilleniumon.

**"Koibito,"** whispers the Dark God as Justimon slowly raises his arm-blade to a battle stance.

"It is time for us to end our eternal struggle…once and for all," he says.  An unreadable expression crosses ExMilleniumon's face as another explosion rips across Pentamon's hide, illuminating the air behind Justimon with a bright background of light.

**"So be it,"** replies ExMilleniumon as he charges at Justimon and slashes his sword, **"Your blood upon my hands will stand as a testament to my superiority over all reality!"**  Skillfully, Justimon parries the attack, although ExMilleniumon does not seem surprised at this in the slightest.

"No matter what it takes, ExMilleniumon, I will stop you," Justimon replies.  ExMilleniumon narrows his eyes and grips his sword a bit tighter.

**"Then this shall be our final battle,"** he remarks.  Without another word, the rivals charge at each other and slash, their blades meeting in a shower of sparks as the two cross paths.  ExMilleniumon pulls back slightly before launching a blinding hail of swipes with his sword, a barrage that Justimon is barely able to dodge as he weaves his way around each slash.

"Grr…" growls Justimon, swooping in, "Give back my friend!"

**"I am your partner!  That Digimon was nothing more than a fraud…I am the one you are destined to bond with!"** Exmilleniumon yells back, just barely moving in time to parry a stab by his opponent.

"No!  I've never had a partner…" mutters Justimon, spinning and delivering a powerful kick to ExMilleniumon's face, "And I never will!"  ExMilleniumon flies back slightly due to the blow, but quickly recovers before falling to the ground.

**"What?  What are you saying…?"** he wonders out loud.

"Partners…children destined to bond with a particular Digimon…" Justimon says, "I don't buy it.  I don't believe in fate…I make my own."

**"Idiot!  I know your fate, and it is to die by your partner's hand!"** yells ExMilleniumon icily, slashing down at his partner once again.  Justimon doesn't move to dodge the blow, simply blocking it.  He glares right into the dark god's eyes.

"No," he mutters quietly, "There is no such thing as fate and you are not my partner."

**"Fate is what brought us together in the first place!"** yells ExMilleniumon, **"You are in severe denial, Akiyama!  Accept it!  I am your partner!"**

"My partner…" whispers Justimon, lowering his head slightly, "A partner is a Digimon I have bonded with…I never bonded with you…"

**"Ever since I discovered the truth, I have considered our battles as our own form of bonding,"** replies ExMilleniumon, **"Tough love."**

"Milleniumon…" whispers Justimon.  The Digimon has never spoken to Ryo in this way before; it is almost unbelievable.  Ryo, in a way, wants to believe him…to accept him as his partner.  But…

**"Ryo…"** replies the dark god, **"I never could understand why I couldn't kill you.  I had so many chances…yet I never took them.  Now, I understand.  It was something that was so basic that I couldn't comprehend it at first.  When I realized what it could mean, I had refused to accept it.  You must have felt the same way…you never killed me either, just sealed me away.  But, it wasn't until I fused with Monodramon did I decide to accept it.  Ryo, I am your partner."**

"You make it sound like we're soul-mates…" Justimon says, bringing a smile to his opponent's face.

**"Maybe that's how this works,"** replies ExMilleniumon, **"I can't help what I've become, Ryo, and I doubt I have the willpower to change either.  Ironic isn't it?  Your archenemy is also your destined partner."**

"Milleniumon…although, through some all-powerful mystic force, we may have been meant to be partners, it hasn't turned out that way.  To put it frankly, we simply aren't.  In my other home-world, partners are determined through the emotions and actions of both the Tamer and Digimon, not fate," says Justimon, a bit of guilt in his voice, "Monodramon is the closest I have to a partner.  He is my best friend…the one I have truly bonded with.  We…we are not friends.  Maybe someday, if our circumstances change, but at the moment we are not friends at all.  I'm sorry, but you are not my partner, Milleniumon."

ExMilleniumon stares at the smaller mega silently for a moment before forcing himself to look away.  Ryo watches him, hoping to get some hint of what he is going to do next just by studying his face, yet at the same time doesn't want to know.

_"For the first time, he opened up to me…shared with me his thoughts on our situation…and I rejected him.  I'm so cold…"_ Ryo thinks, still feeling guilty.  He almost didn't want to tell him, but ExMilleniumon had to know the truth.

"Then I am sorry as well," whispers the dark god, suddenly launching towards Ryo and running his sword through Justimon's body right up to the hilt.  ExMilleniumon looks into Justimon's masked face and can imagine the look on Ryo, his eyes wide with shock and surprise pale.  The young man opens his mouth to say something, but no words come out.  

The ghostly visage of ExMilleniumon's face appears behind Ryo within the Digi-Sphere and whispers to him, "They say the truth will set you free."

--

**Digimon Shift:  Initiation** is written by Seth Turtle.  **Digimon Shift:  Last Piece** is written by Pkmatrix and has been written with Seth Turtle's permission.  Any and all original characters in these two stories are copyright of Seth Turtle.  For a disclaimer covering all other copyrighted material appearing in this story, please check my profile.


	3. Survive

Author's Note:  I am VERY sorry for taking such a long time to post this chapter.  Originally, the third and fourth chapters were going to be a single chapter that I was planning to post by April 25.  Unfortunately, I was unable to meet that deadline…and the chapter kinda swelled to twice as long as I wanted it to be.  ^_^()  Anyways, here is chapter three.  I hope you enjoy it!

--

**Third Piece:  Survive**

--

"HYAH!!" shouts Sakuyamon, diving in towards Pentamon and kicking it in the face.  Flying out of the way, Imperialdramon takes her place, ramming the monster from behind and allowing Vikemon to get a few swipes at him with his hammer.  From his vantage point within the floating screen, Penn grins.

"Humph.  Do you simpletons really believe you can defeat Pentamon this way?" he says mockingly.  As if on cue, Pentamon spins around and tries to punch Imperialdramon, but misses.

"SEVEN HEAVENS!!" yells Seraphimon, swooping in and launching a multitude of energy spheres at the artificial Mega, enveloping it in clouds of smoke and flame.

"Useless…" mutters Penn, shaking his head at the pointlessness of this battle.  From within the cockpit of his Mekanorimon, Gennai glares at the young man.

"What do you expect us to do?  Stand around and let you kill us all?" he shouts angrily.  Penn looks directly at him.

"That…that is EXACTLY what you should do!" the author replies, "Pentamon!  Kill them all!"  The beast raises its grotesque head and stares blankly at its opponents with glowing eyes of crimson.

**"Yes…master…"**

"N-no…" Kari whispers, her eyes widening in absolute shock, "…Tai?!"

"Kari…?" says Valkryimon, somewhat confused.

"I…I heard Tai…it was like a faint echo within Pentamon's voice, but it was there…" she replies quietly, "Pentamon…Pentamon is…"

"Are you saying that Tai is in there?!" yells Imperialdramon, quickly realizing what she's trying to say.

"What?!  But that's…!" Seraphimon yells, too shocked to even finish the thought.

"I heard it too," says Sakuyamon, interrupting her comrade, "It was more than just Tai…I heard Bakura as well…and Takato…"

Pentamon suddenly soars towards the group, attempting to ram them, but they are able to dodge the attack.

"Wait…that's it!  The hybrid of five!" Gennai yells suddenly, "This is what the prophecy meant!"

"Gennai…what are you talking about?" asks Cody, but the digital human ignores him.  Pentamon comes around again, except this time the Digidestined are ready for him.

"POSITRON LASER!!" howls Imperialdramon, firing the beam of energy directly into the monster's face.  Pentamon roars in pain, but the attack doesn't slow it down at all and the monster rams the ancient dragon.

"Penn…you monster!  How could you do this?!" growls Gennai, "You fused the children into a single horrific Digimon!"

"Heh, it took you this long to figure that out?  You really are pathetic…" the young man replies.  Gennai growls at the large screen, his teeth grit tightly as the fury envelops him.

"I swear to the sovereign that I will kill you if those children cannot be saved!" Gennai roars furiously, but Penn simply smiles at him innocently and replies:

"You know what?  I'm tired of you.  I'm going to delete you now.  Goodbye!"

"Wha-?!" Gennai is barely able to mutter before he is enveloped in a bright light that swallows his essence whole.

--

"GENNAI!" screams Seraphimon, watching almost helplessly as Pentamon hurtles towards the Mekanorimon, "WATCH OUT!!"

With a single swift stroke, Pentamon's claws slice through the Mekanorimon's metallic armor, deleting the Digimon and its pilot almost instantaneously.  For a moment, there is stunned silence as the Digidestined slowly realize what had just happened.  That silence is quickly broken.

"Finally!  That guy was really getting on my nerves," says Penn with a smirk.

"You heartless son of a…" growls Valkyrimon.

"Well, it's been fun, but I believe it's time for me to end this game now.  Pentamon, delete the Digital World and everything in it!" orders Penn.

"What?!" yells Sakuyamon, surprised by this sudden change of tactics, "This universe will cease to exist without the Digital World!"

"You think I didn't know that?  I already have a back-up copy.  Deleting all of you will bring no sorrow to me," Penn replies coldly, "Pentamon!"

**"Yes…"** growls Pentamon, starting to glow brightly.  Suddenly, the space around the artificial Mega seems to distort and twist.

"What the…?" mutters Penn as his creation suddenly disappears, "Where did he go?!"

**"Between the worlds,"** answers ExMilleniumon, flying up behind the Digidestined, **"I believe your scientists call it the 'Multiverse'."**

"Milleniumon…" says Sakuyamon, "Where's Ryo?!"  The Dark God glances at her, but his face is unreadable.

**"My partner has departed from this world,"** he replies.  Inside her Digi-Sphere, Rika's body goes limp.

"No…no…NO!" she cries, grabbing her head and starting to scream.  Not a feeble scream of agony, but a scream of utter fury.  The girl is on the verge of going berserk and killing everything in sight.  Only Renamon's equally strong will is able to hold her back.

"Ah!  So you actually did it.  After reading your personality profile, I wasn't sure you would if given the chance," says Penn, happily surprised, "Bravo!  I believe I have underestimated you."

**"That is an understatement,"** ExMilleniumon replies as space once again warps, signaling the reappearance of Pentamon.

"Despite that, though, you are still powerless to stop me," yells the Author, "Pentamon, finish the job!"

**"Yes…"** the synthetic Mega snarls, just as something suddenly grabs its face and presses a sharp object upon its throat.

**"Only **I** have the right to destroy this world!"** roars ExMilleniumon, effortlessly beheading Pentamon and immediately absorbing the data from its severed head.

"…NO!" yells Penn, apparently jumping out of his seat considering the dull crash heard behind him, "How DARE you…!"  ExMilleniumon sneers as the quickly deleting corpse of Pentamon suddenly begins to reabsorb the data it had just lost.

**"I do not know what sort of idiotic delusions your civilization has coerced you into believing, but you are not a god.  Fighting me will immediately prove this fact,"** the Dark God replies, **"You authors were fools to create beings as powerful and intelligent as I."**

"Powerful and intelligent…" growls Penn through grit teeth, his fury quite visible upon his face, "You are nothing!  I am an author!  I control the fabric of space and time itself!"

**"Feh,"** ExMilleniumon retorts, **"Any being of remarkable power such as myself is capable of such a feat.  Your race is only able to do so through advanced technology, while this ability is my birthright!"**

"You insolent…ungrateful…" roars the author, his rage so great that he can barely put it to words, "Pentamon!  Crucify that bastard!  Slaughter them all!  SLAUGHTER THEM ALL!!"

With speed and power equal to that his master's fury, Pentamon charges forward and attempts to ram ExMilleniumon, but despite this the Dark God is still able to hold the synthetic Mega back with only a single hand.  ExMilleniumon glances at the closest of the Digidestined Digimon, Imperialdramon and Vikemon.

**"Are you going to just hover there gawking at me or are you going to attack?!"** he yells, obviously annoyed at their lack of aggression. 

Quick to respond, Seraphimon asks, "Why should we help you?"

"Yeah!" says Valkyrimon, "We should just let Pentamon delete you for what you did!"  Swiftly, the Dark God throws Pentamon away and turns to face all of the Digidestined and Tamer Digimon.

**"This is not optional!"** he yells, **"I am your ONLY chance to defeat Penn!"**

"It's a lose-lose situation…" mutters Magnadramon.

**"Listen, if you help me then at least this world will survive.  If you do not, then everyone dies and Penn wins,"** says ExMilleniumon, just as Pentamon rams him from behind.  The Dark God spins around and punches Pentamon, who quickly kicks back.

Silently, Davis looks away from the fight towards the floating "screen" that bears Penn's angry visage and then towards his hushed comrades.  He tightens his fists and growls.

_"Davis…?"_ says Veemon, somewhat confused.

"If we don't help ExMilleniumon…then Penn will kill everyone…" mutters the goggle-wearing Digidestined, "But if we do…"

_"…Everyone will still die," _Veemon says, finishing his partner's thought, _"We have to choose the lesser of two evils, Davis."_

"You're right," Davis replies, "Then…I choose…"

--

"KILL HIM!!" howls Penn, his window reappearing behind Pentamon as the Mega charges at ExMilleniumon.  The Dark God dodges the attack, quickly slashing Pentamon with his sword as it soars by…only to watch as the wound rapidly regenerates.  He growls with frustration, readying himself as Pentamon turns to attack again, just as a massive blur appears and rams his opponent.  ExMilleniumon smirks.

"Davis!" yells Vikemon, "What are you doing…?!"

"Taking a side…" growls Imperialdramon as energy wells up inside his beam cannon, "POSITRON LASER!!"  The attack explodes in Pentamon's face, sending the monster flying backwards with a trail of thick smoke pouring from it.

"Pentamon!  What the hell are you doing!?  Kill them!  Kill…" roars Penn, just as an arrow suddenly strikes his screen, shattering it.

"Shut UP already!" yells Valkryimon, readying another arrow and aiming it at Pentamon, who is now charging at Imperialdramon, "I cannot forgive ExMilleniumon for what he did…but the atrocities Penn and Pentamon have committed are even worse.  Take this you freak!  AURAVANDIL'S ARROW!!"  A shrill howl of pain escapes from Pentamon's maw as the arrow strikes its wrist, knocking a punch he was throwing at Imperialdramon off course.  Taking this opportunity, Vikemon slams one of his hammers across Pentamon's face, sending the beast's body flailing to the side and directly into ExMilleniumon's waiting sword.  Penn's pet has barely a moment to scream before the Dark God slices it in half.

"We did it!" cheers Valkryimon, flying down beside Imperialdramon, while Pentamon's remains seem to discorporate into raw data.

**"No…not yet,"** ExMilleniumon replies, just as Pentamon suddenly regenerates from almost nothing.

"How do we kill something that will regenerate no matter what we do to it?" growls Imperialdramon, powering up for another attack.

**"We can't,"** answers the Dark God, readying his sword, **"Not so long as Penn controls this Universe."**

"Just GREAT," Valkryimon sighs, "Even with you on our side, we are still doomed."

--

**Digimon Shift:  Initiation** is written by Seth Turtle.  **Digimon Shift:  Last Piece** is written by Pkmatrix and has been written with Seth Turtle's permission.  Any and all original characters in these two stories are copyright of Seth Turtle.  For a disclaimer covering all other copyrighted material appearing in this story, please check my profile.


	4. Hope

--

**Fourth Piece:  Hope**

--

A short distance away from the others, Seraphimon and Magnadramon watch the battle continue to unfold.  While most of their friends have already decided to join forces with ExMilleniumon in the battle against Pentamon, TK and Kari's stronger feelings about evil prevent them from doing the same.  Finally, after a few more moments of spectating, Magnadramon looks towards the Seraphim warrior.

"TK…what should we do?" she asks.

"I don't know…" he replies with sigh, "But I cannot just sit here and watch, we have to fight.  I think we should attack Pentamon."

"No," whispers Magnadramon, looking away from both her friend and the battle.

"Listen, although I hate to admit it, ExMilleniumon is right.  If we do not team up with him, Penn is going to destroy the Digital World, the Real World, and countless other worlds.  We have no choice," explains Seraphimon, reaching towards his friend and placing a hand on her "shoulder".  She quickly pulls away.

"No!" screams Kari, her voice having become dominant over Gatomon's, "I can't!  I can't fight Pentamon!"

Seraphimon stares at her in confusion and asks, "Why?"

"My brother is inside Pentamon!  I can't fight him…I can't fight Tai…" Kari answers, tears starting to pour down her face within the Digi-Sphere, "You are asking me to kill my own brother…I just can't…"

_"Kari…"_ whispers Gatomon sadly as her partner weeps quietly.  Seraphimon looks towards the battle again, and then back to Magnadramon.

"Kari…I am sorry, but I'm sure that this is what Tai would want," he says, before turning away and soaring towards the others, leaving Magnadramon to herself.

"TK…Tai…" Kari mumbles quietly, "Tai…"  

Through the corner of her eye, Kari watches as Seraphimon descends upon the battlefield.

"GRRAAAHHH!!!" he howls at the top of his lungs, ramming Pentamon's back and sending it flying straight down.  With amazing speed, Seraphimon flies underneath Pentamon and delivers a rapid series of punches.  Pentamon does not seem as affected by this assault, though, since it quickly swats Seraphimon away with its fist.  TK is unfazed.

"SEVEN HEAVENS!!" Seraphimon yells, launching a series of seven energy blasts at Pentamon all of which explode upon the beast's tough hide.  Kari covers her ears so she cannot hear Pentamon's scream.  She does not want to hear her brother's suffering.

Only a short distance away, Sakuyamon is also in conflict over what to do…

--

_"Rika!"_ yells Renamon, trying desperately to get her partner's attention, _"Please, we must do something!  Rika!"_  The Digimon Queen does not respond to her partner in any way and continues to simply stare blankly ahead of her.  She had screamed until her voice had gone hoarse.  Now…

_"RIKA!!"_

…She has gone into mental shock.

Renamon growls with frustration.  Her cries have not been able to reach the girl, who has completely shut herself off.

_"Rika…I know that you are extremely upset over Ryo's death, but you cannot allow that to stop you!  We have to fight Pentamon…we have to finish what we came here to do!"_ Renamon says, _"I need your help to do that.  Please, Rika, help me!"_

At long last, Rika stirs, but Renamon's relief is quickly demolished as the girl quietly mumbles, "Ryo…you promised me…"

_"RIKA!!"_ the kitsune growls, wanting so much to grab her partner and shake some sense into her, _"Snap out of it, already!  We have to fight!  If we don't stop Penn and Pentamon, thousands of realities will be destroyed!  Rika!"_

"Let them die," Rika whispers, "We're all just data anyway…"

_"Grr…that's IT!!"_ Renamon screams, finally at the limit of her frustration, _"If you will not will help me, then I will have to rely upon the power within myself to defeat Penn!"_  As she says this, the light blue glow within the Digi-Sphere dims to darkness.

--

"PENTAMON!!"

The Mega looks up just in time for Sakuyamon to kick him directly between the eyes.  Speedily, she clubs the side of Pentamon's head and sends him flying towards Imperialdramon.

"Die already, you FREAK!" growls the ancient dragon, "POSITRON LASER!!"   As Pentamon just barely dodges to the side, Sakuyamon charges towards him and slashes down with her staff.  Quickly, Pentamon moves his arm and blocks the attack, to Sakuyamon's astonishment.

"What…!" she gasps as the Mega pushes her away, "I thought the ring would give me enough power to defeat him!  Unless…"

--

Rika looks at her hand, vaguely recognizing the golden object around her finger:  Gatomon's Tail Ring.

--

"…Unless it only gives RIKA that power!"

Sakuyamon watches as Pentamon skillfully dodges another positron laser from Imperialdramon, and then a series of energy blasts from Seraphimon.

"I can do this…" she whispers, "I can do this without Rika!"  With that proclamation, Sakuyamon once again charges into battle.

"SPIRIT STRIKE!!" yells Sakuyamon, blasting Pentamon's chest.  Valkryimon suddenly appears and kicks Pentamon in the side, pushing him towards Seraphimon.

"SEVEN HEAVENS!!" he shouts, bombarding Pentamon with another series of energy blasts.

"Hey!" Vikemon bellows, heaving one of his hammers at the synthetic Mega, "Take this!"  Pentamon quickly dodges, but the attack proves to be the perfect distraction for Imperialdramon, who suddenly rams himself into the monster's abdomen.

"POSITRON LASER!!" he roars, blasting a large hole in Pentamon's chest.  Not surprisingly, though, the wound quickly heals.  Pentamon growls at the Digidestined Digimon before punching him away.

--

Pen takes a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself down as his staff simply stares at the now shattered computer monitor lying on the floor.  For a few moments, the young man merely stands there and listens to the sounds of battle:

"POSITRON LASER!!"

"Circle around!  Now!  SPIRIT STRIKE!!"

**"GRAAAH!!"**

Finally, the author speaks: "Kill it."

"Wha…?"

"I said KILL IT!  Just delete the damn file!" Penn yells, "I was an idiot to send Pentamon to fight.  If I had just simply followed the original plan and had Pentamon delete everything, it would be done by now.  Pull back Pentamon and then delete the Adventures Universe.  This idiocy ends now."

"Yes sir," replies one of the technicians as they all begin typing furiously at their consoles.  With a sigh, Penn sits down and puts his head in his hands.  What was he doing?  He thought that by doing this, his father would be proud of him.  But now…

"He would probably think I was still acting like a child," whispers Penn, "He would be right."  Penn looks up at the battle displayed upon the large screen not too far away, but notices something out of the corner of his eye:  the Millennium Digivice.  He stares at it for a moment, but the young man's thoughts are interrupted by a warning alarm screeching across the room.

"What happened?" he asks loudly.

"It's the hackers again!  They've cut us off from the server!" one of the technicians yells back, "We can no longer control the battle!"

"WHAT?!" yells Penn, just as another alarm goes off and the image on the large screen vanishes, replaced with a single message:

"Access Denied.  You are forbidden to view this material. Please watch Digimon on Q13 Fox every Saturday morning."

--

**"HYAAAH!"** cries ExMilleniumon, charging at Pentamon with his sword drawn.  The Dark God slashes at his target twice, but Pentamon is able to just barely dodge each time.  Pentamon strikes back with a series of punches, but emits a guttural growl when its assault proves as futile as its adversary's.  ExMilleniumon slashes again, but this time is successful in slicing a gash in Pentamon's chest.  With a feral roar, Pentamon quickly rams ExMilleniumon and savagely rips into the Digimon's left arm as it tries to defend itself.

**"Dammit!"** he yells angrily, knocking Pentamon away with the butt of his sword and glaring at him.  It is at that moment that he notices something drastically different:  Pentamon has not healed.  The gaping wound across the amalgamated Mega's chest is still there!  The Dark God grins sinisterly.

**"It is time to end this pitiful charade,"** he says while gripping his sword more tightly, **"With your death, and my ascension into absolute divinity!"**  With renewed vigor, ExMilleniumon charges at Pentamon and stabs the blade at it with all of his might, but the sword stops suddenly as it collides with a _SECOND _AT Field!  Arcs of energy fly in all directions as ExMilleniumon continues pushing forward, trying to force the weapon through the invisible barrier.

**"You…shall not…pass,"** Pentamon hisses, a sudden and seemingly unnatural show of intelligence.  All of a sudden, Sakuyamon and the other Digidestined fly up above the two from behind Pentamon.

"NO!  This battle ends NOW!!" the group yells, just before launching all of their attacks at Penn's creation.  A series of powerful explosions ripple across Pentamon's secondary AT field, but it manages to hold.

**"You…cannot…kill me!"** the Digimon growls, but its words go unheard as the Digidestined pound him again and again with their attacks.  It decides to forget about the Digidestined and focus all of its energies on killing the only real threat:  ExMilleniumon.  The AT field strengthens slightly at the point where ExMilleniumon is trying to pierce it, forcing the blade back out slightly.

**"Dammit…"** he hisses through grit teeth.  It is like trying to force a pin through a cement wall, but he does not give up.  He must not give up.

**_"I will not give up…I refuse to give up…"_** he thinks frantically as Pentamon forms a crimson spear in each of his hands.

**"Now…"** it hisses, **"Die!"**

**"I am ExMilleniumon, ruler of all reality,"** yells the Dark God, **"I CANNOT LOSE!!"**

--

_"Digi-Modify!  Radiant Faith!"_

--

"What the…?" whispers Vikemon observantly, "Is ExMilleniumon…glowing?"

**"PENTA SPEAR!!"** howls Pentamon, throwing one of the energy spikes at ExMilleniumon, which forces him to break off the assault and dodge out of the way.  Pentamon tosses the other spear, but this time the Dark Mega successfully knocks it away with his sword.  He glares at Pentamon for a moment, but soon that mysterious glow that had enveloped him is completely into his sword.  ExMilleniumon smirks.

The Dark God's final assault happens so fast that the Digi-Destined barely have a chance to recognize that it has even happened.  ExMilleniumon charges at Pentamon, successfully slashes through the AT Field, and finally rams the powered-up sword right through the monster's chest.

"He…did it…" says Valkryimon, not sure whether to cheer or get ready to fight some more.  ExMilleniumon pulls the sword out of Pentamon as the Digimon begins to discorporate. Pentamon stares at its killer blankly.

**"Program…Terminated…"** he manages to say, before finally dissolving to nothing but loose data.  

Inside her Digi-Sphere, tears flow freely down Kari's face as she mumbles, "Goodbye…Tai…"

--

ExMilleniumon's smirk now grows into a large maniacal grin as the Mega begins to absorb his victim's data.  It is an amazing feeling, even more satisfying than absorbing Excaliburmon.  It is pure ecstasy.  He can feel himself gain more power with every particle…become stronger in every conceivable way.  Then…

"Oh no…" whispers Vikemon with a shudder, "He's Digivolving…" The Digi-Destined watch with horror as ExMilleniumon, now their ultimate enemy, is encased in a sphere of light.  Without warning, a powerful force begins pulling the six Megas towards him!

"What…what's happening?!" yells Imperialdramon.

"I don't know!  Something is pulling us towards ExMilleniumon!" Valkryimon replies, "Like some kind of digi-magnet!"

"Let's get out of here!" exclaims Seraphimon as all of the Digi-Destined turn and try to fly away, but none of them can.

"I can't…it's too strong…" growls Sakuyamon.  She looks back towards ExMilleniumon and is engulfed by a bright light.

--

**_"Heh, Heh, Heh.  I'm coming for you, Penn Sanders."_**

--

**Digimon Shift:  Initiation** is written by Seth Turtle.  **Digimon Shift:  Last Piece** is written by Pkmatrix and has been written with Seth Turtle's permission.  Any and all original characters in these two stories are copyright of Seth Turtle.  For a disclaimer covering all other copyrighted material appearing in this story, please check my profile.


End file.
